Buggy Boy (Speed Racer) - 8 bit micro port comparison

Buggy Boy (Speed Buggy in the US) feels like a game that deserves to be remembered more fondly. Sadly, it always seems to fall through the cracks between the likes of Outrun, Power Drift and Chase HQ.

This is a shame, because it is a fun little racer that received some mostly decent 8-bit ports on the #Amstrad, #C64 and #Spectrum.

But which one was the Buggy-est Boy of all? Step this way...

In the arcade, Buggy Boy is probably best remembered for its cockpit version with a panoramic three-screen display. There's also an upright, single-screen version, called Buggy Boy Jr, which is basically the same game.

In Buggy Boy, you race five tracks, collecting flags for points and time, and avoiding boulders and water traps. There are jumps and objects that flip you up onto two wheels. You'll see other buggies, but the game is mostly a race against the clock. It's a lot of colourful fun!

First port we'll look at is the Spectrum port. It's very different from the other two, and makes a plucky attempt at recreating the arcade faithfully. It has a valiant attempt at a huge buggy sprite, with colour no less, which moves about okay-ish. And the road has hills, just like the arcade.

Unfortunately, just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. The huge sprite makes the road feel very cramped, and the gameplay feels slow and indistinct.

Good effort though!

Next up is the Amstrad. Like the C64 port, this feels more like it was inspired by Buggy Boy, rather than faithfully ported. Unlike the Spectrum, the buggy sprite is tiny. This actually works in the game's favour, keeping it snappy and responsive. The road moves nicely, albeit with no hills, and overall it's an enjoyable, if slightly slow, experience.

Best of all is the C64 version. This does everything the Amstrad does, only better. The same presentation (making me wonder if the Amstrad was ported from this), same small sprite, same nimble gameplay. But this version moves better and is a lot more fun to play. Getting to the next checkpoint is hugely compelling and it plays like a great, simple racer.

If you had to nitpick (Spectrum guys always have to nitpick the C64, right?) you might say that it is a little drab... but never enough to detract from the game.

A very clear C64 win!